Spaghetti with cod, white wine and tomato sauce
How to maximize time when you cook.
Some time ago a friend of mine told me that her greatest cooking challenge was calculating preparation time. I have been thinking a lot about this and about my previous experience as a cook. In fact, she is right. Some of my colleagues find recipes taking too long and wondering why. I rarely have that problem and the secret is organization.
Why?
I will use the next recipe to illustrate my method. Pasta with cod, white wine, and tomato sauce can be prepared in about 30 minutes, starting from scratch. The recipe starts by sautéing carrots and leek (or onions). So, begin with these two ingredients, and wash, cut, and begin cooking them. Next, while the vegetables are cooking (which will take just a few minutes), prepare the water for the pasta and put it on the stove over high heat. It takes about 10 minutes for water to boil, depending on the amount of water, the pot type, and whether you use a lid (using a lid might cut the time and reduces energy consumption). Third, begin preparing the white wine, capers, anchovies, and tomato sauce. Finally, cook the pasta while finishing the sauce, since it will take about 10 minutes for the pasta to become al dente. The key is to make sure that at least two things are happening simultaneously for almost the entire process.
Ingredients for 4 people
Spaghetti 400 gr
Cod fillets (fresh or frozen) 400 gr
Carrot 1
Onion 1 small or a piece of leek
White wine 1/2 glass
Tomato pulp 400 ml
Capers 1 tbsp
Desalted anchovies 3
Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley 1 tbsp
Preparation
Peel onion and carrot, and chop finely together.
In a large pan, lightly brown the vegetables with two tablespoons of olive oil, add a few tablespoons of water to avoid them becoming dark. Then add anchovies and capers and cook until the anchovies are melted. (For a spicy version you can also add chillies.) It will take just a few minutes.
Bring the water for pasta to a boil.
Add cod fillets, brown on both sides for a few moments, then blend with the white wine. Break the fish into small pieces using a fork, to obtain a homogeneous but still chunky sauce.
Once the alcohol has evaporated, add the tomato pulp, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper, then cook for 20 minutes. Taste the sauce before adding salt, because the capers and anchovies are already salty.
Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water according to the instructions on the package, drain and mix for 2-3 minutes with the sauce in the pan. Top with the parsley.
Serve immediately and pair with a glass of crisp white wine such as Vermentino or suave.
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